| Summary of Required Course Materials | ||
| Canvas | You must review Canvas regularly. For technical support, please use Canvas Student Support. | |
| Course Website | Any material I keep here will also appear on Canvas | |
| Conservation Biology | Required text for this course. | |
| Learning Objectives | |
| Level | Students will be able to... |
|---|---|
| Remember | Identify and recall key concepts and terminology related to zoo biology, such as taxonomic classifications, animal behavior terms, and basic biological principles. |
| Understand | Explain the fundamental theories and principles of zoo biology, including the importance of biodiversity conservation and the role of zoos in wildlife conservation efforts. |
| Apply | Apply their knowledge of zoo biology to analyze and solve real-world problems related to animal care, exhibit design, and wildlife conservation strategies within a controlled zoo environment. |
| Analyze | Evaluate the ethical and practical considerations involved in managing zoo populations, critically assess the impact of human activities on animal habitats, and propose evidence-based solutions for enhancing animal welfare and conservation efforts. |
We may work on applied skills through a few special assignments spread throughout the semester.
Authors: Bradley Cardinale, Richard Primack, and James Murdoch
Date: 11 October 2019 (1st edition)
ISBN: 9781605357140
Below is a tentative schedule for the semester. This is subject to change and will be updated on the live Github link and the course Canvas page, so please check back regularly.
| Current Schedule for Conservation Biology - Spring 2025 | ||
| Day and Time | Agenda | Text Pages2 |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 - Foundations of Conservation Biology | ||
| Mon, 1/20 4:00 PM | No Class | - |
| Wed, 1/22 4:00 PM | Intro to the Class | - |
| Week 2 - Foundations of Conservation Biology | ||
| Mon, 1/27 4:00 PM | Biodiversity Concepts and Measurement: Genetic Diversity | 53 - 57 |
| Wed, 1/29 4:00 PM | Biodiversity Concepts and Measurement: Species Diversity | 58 - 66 |
| Week 3 - Foundations of Conservation Biology | ||
| Mon, 2/3 4:00 PM | Biodiversity Concepts and Measurement: Community and Ecosystem Diversity | 67 - 80 |
| Week 3 - Importance of Biodiversity | ||
| Wed, 2/5 4:00 PM | Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services | 141 - 180 |
| Week 4 - Threats to Biodiversity | ||
| Mon, 2/10 4:00 PM | Extinction: Global Patterns of Endangerment, Local Changes in Biodiversity | 215 - 239 |
| Wed, 2/12 4:00 PM | Extinction: Controls of Extinction Risk | 240 - 248 |
| Week 5 - Threats to Biodiversity | ||
| Mon, 2/17 4:00 PM | Exam | - |
| Wed, 2/19 4:00 PM | Film Day | - |
| Week 6 - Threats to Biodiversity | ||
| Mon, 2/24 4:00 PM | Habitat Loss and Fragmentation | 249 - 276 |
| Wed, 2/26 4:00 PM | Habitat Degradation | 277 - 284 |
| Week 7 - Threats to Biodiversity | ||
| Mon, 3/3 4:00 PM | Metapopulations and Landscape Mosaics | 285 - 292 |
| Wed, 3/5 4:00 PM | Overexploitation | 293 - 321 |
| Week 8 - Threats to Biodiversity | ||
| Mon, 3/10 4:00 PM | Overexploitation | 322 - 328 |
| Wed, 3/12 4:00 PM | Invasive Alien Species | 329 - 368 |
| Week 9 - Threats to Biodiversity | ||
| Mon, 3/17 4:00 PM | No Class | - |
| Wed, 3/19 4:00 PM | No Class | - |
| Week 10 - Threats to Biodiversity | ||
| Mon, 3/24 4:00 PM | Climate Change | 369 - 373 |
| Wed, 3/26 4:00 PM | Climate Change | 374 - 402 |
| Week 11 - Approaches to Conservation | ||
| Mon, 3/31 4:00 PM | Exam | - |
| Wed, 4/2 4:00 PM | Film Day | - |
| Week 12 - Approaches to Conservation | ||
| Mon, 4/7 4:00 PM | Species-Level Conservation: Goals and Challenges | 405 - 414 |
| Wed, 4/9 4:00 PM | Species-Level Conservation: Statistics and Probability | 415 - 444 |
| Week 13 - Approaches to Conservation | ||
| Mon, 4/14 4:00 PM | Community and Ecosystem Conservation | 445 - 476 |
| Wed, 4/16 4:00 PM | Landscape-Scale Conservation: PA Networks | 477 - 505 |
| Week 14 - Approaches to Conservation | ||
| Mon, 4/21 4:00 PM | Landscape-Scale Conservation: Monitoring and Modeling | 506 - 520 |
| Wed, 4/23 4:00 PM | Ex Situ Conservation: Facilities | 521 - 537 |
| Week 15 - Approaches to Conservation | ||
| Mon, 4/28 4:00 PM | Ex Situ Conservation: In Situ Contributions | 538 - 554 |
| Wed, 4/30 4:00 PM | Sustainable Development: Case Studies | 573 - 582 |
| Week 16 - Approaches to Conservation | ||
| Mon, 5/5 4:00 PM | Film Day | - |
| Wed, 5/7 4:00 PM | Film Day | - |
| Week 17 - Approaches to Conservation | ||
| Mon, 5/12 5:30 PM | Exam | - |
| 1 Check back weekly, as I will update this online version as we adjust our pace and plans | ||
| 2 Required text: Conservation Biology by Cardinale, Primack and Murdoch (October 2019, 1st ed.). ISBN: 9781605357140. If you prefer a hardcopy version, you must opt-out of the online charge on canvas by the end of Week 2. | ||
This is not an online or hybrid course. - I designed the curriculum and objectives specifically with that in mind, so to succeed you must attend and engage with every scheduled meeting. You will not pass this class if you are unable to attend and take your own notes.
Absences may only be truly excused if they have been registered through the Accessibility Services Center. Please do not provide me with any personal or medical details to explain your barriers to attendance or assignment completion. While I do care about accommodating these issues when they arise, I also care about your privacy and respect that office’s expertise in managing the conditions and complications that are outside of my purview. I do my best to integrate a reasonable and universal degree of flexibility into our schedule and assessment plan to accommodate some work/life balance while also ensuring equity and reasonable progress in your learning. I am happy to receive requests and recommendations to help me update and improve this approach for everyone, but I will only create personalized accommodations by working directly with the ASC.
Please also know that I genuinely appreciate opportunities to work with and around student barriers by collaborating with the ASC. If you know that you are coming into the semester with learning barriers (e.g., neurodivergence, visual/auditory processing differences), I strongly encourage you to register this with their office and then communicate with me about the ways I can work this into my approach from the beginning.